The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1887-06-03

FAIR FLORIDA
A Comparison B~sween tho Ps~t snd rsss
ent az the Land ~ Flowers-rhe w"n'
aersul strides In Agricultural nss@ Gen.
srai Prosperity Tor sns
Future.
BALTIMORE, Nd, May cd-Hon VIM. y.
Kelly. ~ Pcnnsylvania, has contributed
an cight-column article 70 the NsnsJ'scfar'
49, Record upon the past, present and ~
ture Of Florida. Mr.. Kelly Is making an
other tour Of the south. and this letter Is
the first OF series that he propores writ
ing ON the progress Of the south. lie
starts out bv saying that when he visited
Florida In 1919 he found the people npa-
thctic, with no energy. tho State In
miserable condition, no attempt 70 utilize
the vast stretches OF timber, no cnort 70
produce pasturage, folder plants, or any
OF the cereals; ana the people living On
sweet potatoes and consumptivc Yam
KEGS. and the only thing they
could offsr Tor sale was their
nfmos pherer There were no railroads 70
speak OF. lS4 miles being the total length
operated In the entire State. The writer
then points out the poverty stricken con-
diton OF the state nj the close Of the war:
her population was only $4,000 her rail-
road Mileage 4lC the railroad companies
aud the State bankrupt The Il st lit
that Florida got was in 1878, when Hamil-
ton Disson paid si.o0O.oop 70 the state for
4000. 900 acres OF her richest land. win
this million the State paid the defauiied
bonds OF tho bankrupted railroad COM
panics. which she had guaranteed. Ihis
done the state government issue patents
for the land heretofore granted - raii-
road companies, and the companies i'm
mediatcly contractc for the construction
81 the roads to which the grants were APP
plcable.
Mr.. Disston and his associates then con-
tracted to drain the swamp lands belong
ing to the State. New life seemed 10 ami
mate every citizen in Florida and activity
was everywhere apparent as result 81
which tho railroad mileage was In 1SSp in
creased to 1900 miles.
Mr.. Kelly then compares the thrift, in
dustry and enterprise OF Florida as u ap-
pears upon his present Investigation with
what he found in 1874 and refers 70 the
great productive qualities OF the land
which has been reclaimed by draining
East lake Of its overflow, and 70 the great
advantages enjoyed by the State in early
crops and harvests THIS reclaimed land.
although not shsec years under cul-
iivafion. demonstrates that all the vcgc-
tables and berries that can be grown in
Penn sylvania and New JERSEY. can be-
produced in Florida with less care aud
labor II places where the cypress tree
abounds il costs nothing 70 clear the land.
for every tree pays for its removal He
| finds that farmers in Florida can ahord
! To paw better wages than those in Penn
| syyania and X .nsas. Sugar cane. says
| Mr.. Kelly, planted one year after the re-
| ramafion OF the land. Yields 5000 pounds
| 81 sugar per acre. and rice nettcd LODI
| bushels an acre Oats yielded fifty bushels
T, an acre and was ready 70 harvest on
l March ~ The reclaimed land OF Florida,
1 NJ says. partook OF the charac;cr Of the
|! most productive land Of the valley OF the
Nile in Egypt
4 Mr. Kelly goes on 20 say that upon the nat
u.al alluvial lands Of Middle and Lower
4 Florida tobacco can be raised equal 70 the
| best Cuban leaf, and that Florida farmers
I claim they can raise sugar cane better
| than was cut ia Louisiana but the lands
| are too valuable now for better paying
products 70 put in sugar cane.
The great Protectionist grows cloqucai
over the cocoa-nut. and gives glowing
description OF Florida grove. He then
lcvotes considerable space 70 the silk
culture and its possibilities. Florida, he
says, should derive millions annually
from the production by her women and
children Of silk. The mulberry. on which
the silk worm feeds. . indigenous x
every part Of Florida and il is impossible
TO estimate the value OF the silk tina
might be produced by her women and
children He saws that nature invites the
- 44V I4Nrh n
profitable industry throughout Florida
southern Georgia, Alabama and othcl
rarfs Of the South. Mr.. Kelly then con
,lutcs thus:
.Why, in view Of Florida's immense
and infinitely varied resources, may no
part with my subject In terms % glow
ing congratulation and assurance TO tn
state and her peopls that career OF un
broken and increasing prosperity await
her and her r2pidly augmenting popula
ton. dare not fail, however, TO admou
T, sh her people that the corridors lcadinl
70 both houses o. Congress are vocal wit
mutterngs Of purpose 10 enact iegisla
ition detrimental 10 her rice and sugar IN
dustries, aud 70 resist the proposed rcpea
Of laws which tax and harrass grower
and manufacturers OF tobacco, which ar
casting sinister shadow athwart he
pathway toward what otherwise seem
X 10 be agricultural pre-emincncc. Tn
pretcnse that the abolition or rcduc ito
OF the duties on sugar is necessary to q
Sect reduction Of the annual revenue
Else. II Is mere prefcxt for the Dc
rruciion Of great native industry no'
ST expanding into National propol
ons.-